Indiana Work Permit Changes for Minors

by Courtney Conley

If you’re a teen or a parent of a teen in Indiana, there are some changes you should know about regarding work permits.

Teen Working on Computer

The Benefits of Teens Working

Part-time jobs have many benefits for teens. A Pew study in 2009 found that for every year a teen works, their income rises about 14% to 16% in their twenties. This research also tells us that employed teens are less likely to become pregnant, become addicted to drugs, and it even reduces their risk of future incarceration.

Jobs also help teens prepare for their future as part of the workforce. A summer job scooping ice cream may not seem directly related to a future career as an attorney, for example, but the interpersonal skills teens learn while working are priceless. Plus, what teen doesn’t want a little extra pocket money?

Teen Work Permits in Indiana

Previously, Indiana teens needed to obtain a work permit from their schools in order to start working. This process can slow things down as teens wait for school administrations to provide their work permits, especially during the summer.

How Many Hours Can Teens in Indiana Work?

Of course, the amount of hours teens can work is restricted. This ensures that teens still have time to be teens. They still need to attend school, participate in any extracurricular activities they’re interested in, and just hang out! Here are the working restrictions all employers in Indiana must follow:

Indiana teens ages 14 to 15 are restricted to:

  • 3 hours of work per school day
  • 8 hours of work each non-school day
  • A total of 18 hours per school week
  • No more than 40 hours per non-school week

Teens ages 14 to 15 are not permitted to work before 7:00 am or after 7:00 pm, though from June 1st through Labor Day, they may work until 9:00 pm except on days followed by a school day. They may only work outside of school hours.

Indiana teens age 16 and 17 are restricted to:

  • 9 hours of work per day
  • 40 hours of work per school week
  • 48 hours of per per non-school week
  • No more than 6 consecutive workdays

Teens age 16 and 17 cannot start work from 12:00 am and 6:00 am, and they may only work until 10:00 pm on nights followed by a school day.

If they have written parental permission, teens age 16 and 17 can work until 11:00 pm on nights followed by a school day. There are no restrictions on end time on nights not followed by a school day.

Teens age 16 and 17 are not permitted to work in an establishment that is open to the public between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, unless they’re accompanied by another employee who is at least age 18 and also works during the same work hours as the minor employee.

Youth Employment Employer Registration System

As of July 1, 2021, Indiana teens are no longer required to obtain a work permit from their schools, and employers of minors are not required to complete the "Intent to Employ" form. Instead, employers with five or more minor employees are required to keep an updated list of all employees under age 18. If there are 4 or fewer minor employees, the employer isn’t required to use the new system. All employers are still required to comply with the teen work hour restrictions outlined above.

Please note than all Indiana employers are required to keep all work permits issued prior to July 1, 2021 for two years. Schools are no longer responsible for registering employees under age 18 in Indiana; it is the legal responsibility of the employer.

The owner’s representative (not the individual workplace location) is now responsible for completing the initial registration in the system. Using the new Youth Employment Registration System, the representative will need to list each individual work location and grant access to the various individual managers. When the initial registration is complete, individual managers can access the portal for their location and enter information for all minor employees.

Penalties For Noncompliance with the Youth Employment System

Of course, there will be penalties for employers in Indiana who do not comply with the new Youth Employment System (YES) requirements. Employers with 5 or more minor employees who fail to use YES to register minor employees, fail to remove a minor employee from the system when they are no longer employed, or fail to update the number of minor employees in YES will face a fine between $100 to $400 per infraction.

Benefits of Indiana New YES Program

The YES program was designed to streamline the process for teens who want to work and the employers who want to hire them. Employers of 5 or more minors will now be able to take the hiring process into their own hands instead of waiting on the school system to register teen workers. Removing this burden from school administrators allows them to focus on other school-related work.

This is also beneficial for employers who employ 4 or fewer minor employees, as they are not required to use the YES system. YES is easy to use and makes the process of hiring minors quick and painless. To learn more about YES, visit the Indiana Department of Labor’s website.

We hope this helps answer any questions you may have about the new Indiana Employer Registration system for minors! An important part of working as a teen is transportation. Indiana teens who are at least age 15 can take our Indiana Online Driver Education as a step in the process of obtaining their driver’s license. Click here to visit our website to register for the Indiana Online Driver Education course today!

If you’re a teen or a parent of a teen in Indiana, there are some changes you should know about regarding work permits.

Categories: Driving Laws, Driving Safety